Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Your Highness, where are we headed now?"

Seeing that the Saint Prince had already absorbed all of the harmful Evil Patterns into his body and seemed to have suppressed them, Lu Changhe was filled with immense admiration. At the same time, he was a little puzzled about their next destination, so he couldn't help but ask.

But Yang Xiao, who already had a plan, just smiled faintly.

"To the Eastern Domain. The Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. For the time being, I'm going to enter seclusion and focus on my cultivation."

Looking across the Profound Sun Continent, everything had been pacified.

Even the official enthronement ceremony for the Human Race's Common Lord was already in preparation and would begin soon.

Naturally, Yang Xiao wouldn't waste his thoughts and energy on trivial matters like governing various regions. He probably wouldn't even attend the enthronement ceremony.

Instead, he would have his Fire God Clone handle it.

Because at this moment, the most important thing for him was cultivation.

The reason he hadn't cultivated in the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion before was that he was constrained by the lack of Spirit Fire. Without Spirit Fire, even with a thousand-fold time acceleration, his cultivation couldn't advance.

Being there or not made no difference at all.

But things were different now.

He had already gathered the Supreme Yin Fire.

As for the Supreme Yang Fire, he had four types: two Spirit Fires, one Demigod Fire, and one Divine Fire.

Although the last one, the Divine Fire, couldn't be used just yet.

But it was enough for him to cultivate from his current Peak of True Intent Ninth Layer to the Peak of the Small Divine Power Realm. This was a gap of an entire Great Realm, a process that required tempering his body and spirit five times.

It would take a great deal of time.

Moreover, Yang Xiao also had to cultivate the Seventy-two Small Divine Techniques, and even the thirty-six Great Divine Techniques had to be put on the agenda.

Because once he consumed all these Spirit Fires and the Divine Fire, Yang Xiao would face the breakthrough to the Great Divine Power Realm.

Naturally, he had to cultivate them in advance.

He had to avoid a situation like the present, where he couldn't break through at will.

He had to first cultivate the Seventy-two Small Divine Techniques.

This way, the time required for cultivation would be even longer.

'But I have the Desolate Divine Fruit, and even better, the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. I believe it won't be long before I, Yang Xiao, am completely different from who I am now.'

Yang Xiao smiled faintly.

His figure flashed, and he vanished along with Lu Changhe.

When they reappeared, they were already inside the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.

After entering the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion, he began his secluded cultivation, seeing no one.

He was determined to use his full effort.

To cultivate to the Peak of the Small Divine Power Realm.

As for matters outside, his Fire God Clone would naturally handle them.

And so, time passed, bit by bit.

A full ten days passed in the outside world.

Nearly thirty years had passed inside the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.

From the place where Yang Xiao was in seclusion, waves of terrifying aura surged out.

The Seventy-two Small Divine Techniques.

Each was miraculous in its own way.

They were all-encompassing.

An ordinary person would find it extremely difficult to cultivate even one, but in Yang Xiao's hands, it took him less than thirty years to successfully master them all.

And he did it without using the Desolate Divine Fruit.

He even fused all these Small Divine Techniques into one.

He was on the verge of condensing a Supreme Divine Pill.

But at that very moment, just as Yang Xiao was about to condense the Supreme Divine Pill, the voice of the Emperor's Weapon Spirit suddenly reached him.

"Yang Xiao, are you cultivating the Profound Sun Scripture?"

Yang Xiao was slightly taken aback.

He then shook his head. "Not the Profound Sun Scripture, but it is related to it."

"I know. It's the Nine Yang Celestial Skill, isn't it?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Yang Xiao was greatly shocked.

'But on second thought,' he mused, 'this Emperor's Weapon Spirit followed Junior Brother Xuan Yang for many years, and Junior Brother Xuan Yang once presided over the Nine Yang Celestial Palace. He must have received the inheritance of the Nine Yang Celestial Skill. It's not impossible for the Emperor's Weapon Spirit to know about it.'

'But if it knew, why did it pass down the Profound Sun Scripture to the Ye Clan Members instead of the Nine Yang Celestial Skill? Could it have been Junior Brother Xuan Yang's order?'

He was rather confused.

At the same time, Yang Xiao felt he had been reckless. To think he had cultivated the Nine Yang Celestial Skill right in front of the Emperor's Weapon Spirit. If it discovered something, it would surely increase the risk of his identity being exposed.

"It seems my guess was correct. You are indeed cultivating the Nine Yang Celestial Skill."

The Emperor's Weapon Spirit sighed softly.

From its tone, there seemed to be a hint of helplessness.

And also a bit of regret.

This made Yang Xiao very curious.

"The Nine Yang Celestial Skill is a supreme Secret Technique that allows one to cultivate to the Saint Emperor Realm. Why, from your tone, does it sound as if there's something wrong with it?"

Yang Xiao asked directly.

But the Emperor's Weapon Spirit fell silent.

Just when Yang Xiao thought he wouldn't get an answer,

the Emperor's Weapon Spirit's voice suddenly rang out.

"Forget it. I do know some secrets about the Nine Yang Celestial Skill. Secrets the Great Emperor only comprehended right before his death. That is why he told me not to pass on the Nine Yang Celestial Skill. However, you've somehow obtained the inheritance from somewhere else. Moreover, you are the hope for the rise of the Great Emperor's lineage. If I don't tell you and just let you continue cultivating like this, I'm afraid I will be blamed by the Great Emperor's reincarnated self should I meet him in the future."

"So, I will now tell you the secret of this Nine Yang Celestial Skill. Of course, if you don't believe me, just pretend I never said anything. I just don't want the Great Emperor to blame me later."

As soon as it said this, Yang Xiao became even more curious.

In Ancient Times, the Nine Yang Celestial Skill was a renowned Saint Emperor Technique, a Supreme Yang Technique, the very method the Nine Yang Supreme used to attain the Saint Emperor Realm.

Countless people coveted this Cultivation Technique.

But now, listening to the Emperor's Weapon Spirit, it seemed to have a flaw.

'What is going on?'

And just then, the Emperor's Weapon Spirit began to speak.

"Whether you believe me or not, I want to advise you to stop cultivating it. The Great Emperor once said that although the Nine Yang Celestial Skill is profound, its essence lies not in the Cultivation Technique itself, but within the Secret Patterns, within the Great Dao. However, these Secret Patterns and this Dao are not recorded in the Nine Yang Celestial Skill. If I'm not mistaken, your version of the Nine Yang Celestial Skill should only record one type of Secret Pattern. It should be the Fiery Yang Secret Pattern, correct?"

As it spoke, the Emperor's Weapon Spirit manifested and projected a series of Secret Patterns in front of Yang Xiao.

At this demonstration, Yang Xiao, who had been somewhat skeptical, was instantly convinced.

Because the Secret Patterns it projected were precisely the Nine Yang Secret Patterns he had learned.

"These Secret Patterns aren't the Nine Yang Secret Patterns, but just the Fiery Yang Secret Pattern?"

Yang Xiao's expression changed.

"That's right. If you use this type of Secret Pattern as your foundation, even if the Nine Yang Celestial Skill is profound, the power you cultivate in the future will be roughly equivalent to that of the Profound Sun Scripture. Moreover, compared to the Profound Sun Scripture, this Nine Yang Celestial Skill is far too complex and fundamentally unsuitable for cultivation. Unless, that is, you can obtain the true Nine Yang Secret Patterns. But from what I know, even the Great Emperor only knew that the Nine Yang Secret Patterns consist of nine types of yang-attribute Secret Patterns. These should include Pure Yang, Greater Yang, Lesser Yang, True Yang, Spiritual Yang, and the Fiery Yang Secret Pattern that just appeared. That's only six types. The remaining three are mysterious and unknown. Are you sure you still want to continue cultivating it?"

The words of the Emperor's Weapon Spirit struck Yang Xiao to his very core.

His expression immediately grew heavy.

'If what the Emperor's Weapon Spirit said is true, doesn't that mean my own master held something back from me?'

Yang Xiao was unwilling to believe it.

But the Emperor's Weapon Spirit's words were logical and well-founded.

'Should I… really test it out?'

'If it's truly as it said, and cultivating to the very end only results in power comparable to the Profound Sun Scripture, then wouldn't everything I've done be for nothing?'

'No. The Nine Yang Celestial Skill is my foundational technique. If I cultivate it and only end up with the strength of the Profound Sun Scripture, how will I ever contend with the Lord of Immortal Dao who killed me?'

Yang Xiao shook his head.

He would never resign himself to a second life of cultivation only to end up as a Great Emperor.

He wanted to become a Saint Emperor.

Or even something beyond a Saint Emperor.

So, this Nine Yang Celestial Skill!

To cultivate, or not to cultivate?

Yang Xiao was lost in bitter contemplation.